Daslan Jewelry

Daslan is a jewelry brand based in Brazil and founded by Daniela Salles. With a minimalist style, the approach anchored by precision and simplicity, revealing timelessness through the purity of its forms.

With the project of the new showroom commissioned to Brazilian studio Marina Salles Arquitetura e Interiores, the challenge was to translate the brand's concept into the exhibition space creatively, in an environment that would comfortably welcome customers.

Identifying herself as "a citizen of the world", it is at the designer's multicultural family roots and also in the memories collected from her international experiences that Daniela finds inspiration for the creative direction of each collection. Conceptually, the fusion between the organic forms of nature and the precision of the straight lines that inhabit architecture and contemporary art brings the jewelry to life, conceived as wearable sculptures.

Based on this ideal, tracing, even poetically, a connection to the founder's origins and collection of references was the starting point for the proposal of the new jewelry store design. With Brazilian essence and multicultural heritage, we interpret the nomadic style through three elements as common denominators of the various territories where she resided: stone, wood, and metal.

In a second analysis, we return to the similarities between the practices of jewelry and architecture, particularly focusing on the concepts of ephemerality and transformation as a synthesis of the process. In this sense, the raw materials combined with the skill of artisanal knowledge gives shape to new artifacts.

Guided by this philosophy, the surfaces of the space redefine in a simple, yet not simplistic, way the use of natural components, acquiring new meanings through manual work. Cumaru wood planks cover the entire floor, while a mineral paint envelops the walls (a pigmentation technique developed by Studio Passalacqua and carried out from the mixture of water, earth, and natural pigments) – a tribute to ephemeral elements, such as sand.

The sculptural character of the counter emerges at the center of the main environment, organizing activities, from areas for customer service to the exhibition of jewelry.

Challenging the duality between stability and suspension, the piece, carefully designed by architect Marina Salles, materializes from a woodworking volume intersected by a piece of Travertine Navona marble, which breaks the appearance of a continuous monolith and gives rise to the cantilevered base. The application of different materials reinforces the perception of the element floating, in an almost poetic construction. In the composition, Brazilian designer Fernando Jaeger's Copa chairs are used.

With variations in heights, the upper zone receives a glass sheet to display the collection. Access provided by both sides of the furniture, and the elegant brass handles (produced by Brazilian brand bellogesto) allude to the gold present in the jewelry. Inside, display trays recreate patterns and textures found in architectural elements, such as wooden slats, adapted here for the small scale of the products.

To provide diffuse lighting that avoids shadows and direct reflections on the glass, interfering minimally in the visual reading of the collection, the Li Horizontal pendant – with a metal structure with electrostatic paint coated with fabric and Kozo (Japanese paper) – by Adriana Yazbek, emits soft light and adds a touch of Brazilian soul. The lighting project was conceived in collaboration with Lightworks (by Airton Pimenta), and incorporates a neutral color temperature through technical luminaires that enhance the small products.

With special attention to all scales – from interiors to product – architect Marina Salles also signs the design of the wall mirrors and table, exclusively designed for the project.

The first of them proposes an alternative to the more common solution of the piece, whose monopod structure with a rod supports the frame that receives the reflective plate, capable of rotation. In the new design, the base comprises a quarter of a sphere in solid wood carved by hand, from where rests the circular frame of the same material, this solution gives stability to the piece and allows the weight distribution to tilt the mirror in two positions, dispensing with the traditional pin system for rotation.

The second piece built with Freijó wood structure, and the simplicity of the design hides the complexity, which, by integrating aesthetics and functionality, incorporates, in the beveled frame, LED diffusers coated in linen. As a result, the diffuse lighting system allows clients to experience larger products (necklaces and bracelets) without visual discomfort.

In support of the display of the pieces, monoliths of Travertine Navona with variations in height emerge as exhibitors that support square glass domes and wooden bases that hold the jewelry.

As one of the premises of the needs program, it was essential to have spaces for the secondary activities of the company's daily life. The balcony supports meetings with suppliers, set up with a Canela table by Fernando Prado for Dpot, surrounded by Copa chairs by Fernando Jaeger, and a wooden sideboard (Zara Home) that holds a tray by Letícia Wrede. On the opposite side, the pair of Siri armchairs, designed by Brazilian designer Claudia Moreira Salles, with a wooden structure and linen upholstery, paired with a side table designed by Isabelle de Mari for Olho Móveis.

In the landscaping project carried out in collaboration with Land N Citi (by Rulian Nociti), metallic vases with corten paint, designed for the project and arranged around the perimeter of the space, maintain privacy from surrounding buildings and bring greenery indoors.

On the side wall of the main environment, there is a niche dedicated to comfortably accommodating clients and guests. The frame has the same width as the door frame next to it, and the boundary of the structure is aligned with its height. The seat and back of the upholstery covered in rustic silk fabric, emphasizing comfort.

To filter the golden sunlight in the afternoon, when desired, linen curtains (Uniflex Anália Franco) separating the hall and the balcony.

Inspired by the artistic references of the founder, which sometimes serves as inspiration for the collections, from Richard Serra to Amilcar de Castro, at the reception, the design of the table reflects the search for a system that develops the physical and visual capacities of the material. The adopted guideline based on the coexistence of opposites, exploring contrasts such as weight and lightness, opacity and transparency, brutality, and fragility – elements that bring the work of these artists closer.

Two contiguous blocks in Travertine Navona marble intertwined by a wooden beam, providing structural stability. Above, a delicate crystal glass sheet rests, theoretically putting the limits and the notion of balance into perspective.

Adjacent to the main environment, the designer's office designed for creative development and private meetings. Maintaining the concept assumed in the other environments, the joinery of the workbench receives a Freijó wood finish, and referencing the ring that identifies the design of some of the jewelry, the handles have a circular design.

Freijó wood panels with a folding door system conceal the pantry. To evoke the image of a single volume, the lower cabinet set is entirely materialized with the same finish as the access doors, while the pair of upper shelves supports the storage of glasses and utensils.

The powder room follows the same concept, with Freijó cabinets and a Travertine marble countertop. Handles of the entrance doors, joinery, and mirror feature circular designs alluding to the purity of the components that identify the Aros jewelry collection by Daslan.

In the end, a jewelry store that privileges the experience of reception, employing natural raw materials and revering artisanal knowledge to construct a narrative that echoes well-being and, just like in jewelry-making, is meticulously thought out.

 
Technical sheet
Project: Daslan Jewelry
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Conclusion year: 2023
Built Area: 60m²
Architecture and Interior Design: Marina Salles Arquitetura e Interiores
Design Team: Marina Salles, Bruno Milan, Marina Campidelli
Lighting Consulting: Lightworks (Airton Pimenta)
Landscaping Design: Land N Citi (Rulian Nociti)
Photographs: Fran Parente
Text: Matheus Pereira
Manufacturers: Studio Passalacqua, Dpot, Olho Móveis, Bellogesto, Adriana Yazbek, Leticia Wrede, Uniflex Anália Franco